Could you please specify which sector you're referring to?
Transport. And am talking non-professional (and unionized) frontline worker wages en-blanco... it is nothing exceptional.
Professional office workers in many Pymes, large companies and even some non-profits that I am familiar with are already well over ARS 2.000.000 (US$1970+) for junior management level roles with executive level salaries ranging between ARS 3.000.000-ARS 5.000.000 (US$2955-US$4926)
If you follow
local business news you will quickly see how basic wages in various sectors are. Here is an
example:
Various health care worker unions starting basic salaries (before extra for seniority etc) for non-managerial
workers:
- Category A University Graduate ARS 1.333.650 (US$1313)
- Factory workers (in chemical plants) ARS 1.087.478 (US$1071)
- Unskilled workers (general positions) ARS 732.546 (US$721)
- Administrative staff ARS 993.222 (US$978)
Another example, private
security guards:
- From ARS 635.000 (US$604) to ARS 920.000 (US$906)
Here is another
example:
Travel & tourism - traditionally one of the lowest paying sectors.
- Starting salary ARS 652.000 (US$642)
And here are the wages of the lowest paying sector,
domestic workers:
- Between ARS 266.000 (US$262) and ARS 327.660 (US$322)
They are today earning in dollar terms what most workers in other more "highly skilled" sectors were earning in dollar terms in November last year.
Perhaps someone would like to compare these salaries to say Spain, Portugal, Italy, Eastern Europe or anywhere else in Latin America for that matter to gauge how exceptionally terrible wages in Argentina today really are. What is exceptional is that few of these wage earners in Argentina currently need to pay income tax on these wages, unlike their European counterparts.
But hey, I guess it is easier for some expats removed from the everyday local economy/ workforce to pay attention to headlines capturing one specific moment in time to perpetuate myths about how terrible this new government is for Argentine workers than to look for real examples or try to understand that any economic adjustment doesn't look like synchronised swimming in the real world and needs a little time for everyone to catch up.